Teen Recreates Mom's High School Graduation Photo And The Internet Loves It

“We made it together”

Graduation isn’t complete without a family photo. One teen used her high school graduation as the perfect time to pay tribute to her parents by recreating the photo she took with them 17 years ago, when they were still teens themselves. Madeleine Tarin was just a toddler when she attended her mother’s high school graduation, but the moment has always had special significance to her.

Tarin tells Scary Mommy that she’s been planning this photo shoot for some time. “I’ve kept this photo framed in my room for many years,” she explains. “I had always wondered if I could recreate this at my graduation. I saw it as a symbol of accomplishment for my parents and I believe it was a real eye opener for them to see how much we’ve overcome as a family.” Her mother actually had the original photo with her at Tarin’s high school graduation, and when they began to take family photos, she reminded her mom that she wanted to try and recreate that shot. “I’m glad my dad is such a strong guy or else this picture wouldn’t be possible!” she jokes.

In a post on Love What Matters, Tarin explains that being teen parents wasn’t and easy road for her mom and dad, but it made her family stronger. “My parents were judged a lot during this time but stayed strong together. They both lived with their parents but were raising me together,” she writes. “They were determined to make it and provide me with a future. My dad worked full time in construction and my mom was still playing soccer.”

No matter when you get together — as teenagers or when you’re older — a long-lasting relationship is never a guarantee. But Tarin’s parents are not only still together, they’re stronger than ever and raising a family of bright young women. “Today, they have a strong, loving marriage,” Tarin says of her parents. “They purchased a beautiful home. My mom is a stay at home mom and my dad has a great career as a longshoreman. I have two little sisters that are following in my footsteps.”

Everything about this photo is perfection. The beaming smile on Tarin’s face, those colorful leis she’s wearing and the way her parents somehow look even younger than they did at her mother’s graduation. (Seriously though, what’s their secret?)

Because she’s been with her parents from such a young age, she explains how everything the family individually accomplishes feels like a win for them all. “My parents have always been my motivation to be successful in high school and now strive to do well in college.” she says. “I couldn’t ask for a more loving, supportive family than the one God gave me. Yeah that’s right, we made it TOGETHER.”

Tarin will attend Rider University in New Jersey, where she will be play Division 1 soccer. She plans to study health sciences with the goal of becoming an occupational therapist.

While she may be moving on towards adulthood, Tarin knows her parents will always be there. “I’m super close to my parents and we have a such a great relationship, I’m blessed to have something like that with my parents,” she says.

And yes, when she graduates from college, she hopes to recreate this special photo one last time.